On estimating the loss of quantification in PET due to finite detector resolution.

In positron emission computed tomography, images are reconstructed from projection data of the slice. Such projection data are inherently subject to bias owing to the detection of coincident annihilation photons with detectors of finite resolution. The influence of these unavoidable effects on reconstructed data is reviewed and a straight forward method is outlined for calculating the loss of quantification of small objects owing to finite detector resolution. A sample calculation using idealized point spread functions is presented.